South England Neolithic Standing Stones

 Hautville's Quoit Nine Maidens Stone Row

South England Neolithic Standing Stones is in South England Neolithic, Standing Stones.

Europe, British Isles, South-West England, Somerset, Stanton Drew, Hautville's Quoit [Map]

Hautville's Quoit [Map] lies across the River Chew from the Stanton Drew Stone Circles. Historic England 1002475:

The monument includes a recumbent standing stone, situated on a low rise just above the floodplain, in the valley of and overlooking the River Chew. The recumbent standing stone survives as an earthfast monolith partially buried into a bank and measuring at least 1m square by 0.3m high. The standing stone was recorded by Stukeley writing in 1723 as being one of a pair of stones, and it is known to have been recumbent since the mid-17th century. It is believed to be an outlier to the complex stone circle of Stanton Drew which is the subject of a separate scheduling.

1664. Monumenta Britannica by John Aubrey ... The common people tell this incredible story, that Hakewell stood upon the top of Norton Hill, about half a mile off where the Coyte [Map] now lies, and coyted it down to this place; for which having the Manor of Norton given him, and thinking it too little, did give it the name of Norton Mal-reward which they pronounce small reward.

In 1723 Stukeley (age 35) described Hautville's Quoit [Map] as being 4m long. It is now half that.

Around 1780. The History and Antiquities of the County of Somerset by Reverend John Collinson ...

In the road lies an immense stone called Hautville's Coit [Map] (a name that has sustained for many ages) and is by tradition reported to have been thrown hither by that gigantick champion Sir John Hautville, from Mays-Knolle-Hill upwards of a mile distant, the place of his abode. The tump on that hill is also affirmed to have been the cleanings of the same man's spade, and so confident are the common people of the reality of the manoevre, that a farmhouse erected of late years near the coit was distinguished by the title of Hautville's Coit Farm, which doubtless it will preserve until records are no more.

This stone was formerly of a vast magnitude, being computed to have weighed upwards of 30 tons; but the waggon loads of fragments that have been broken from it at different times, for the purpose of mending the roads, have diminished its consequence as to bulk and appearance, though not as to antiquity or the design of its erection, for it was part of a very remarkable monument of antiquity, which has distinguished the parish for many ages and has diverted the steps of many a traveller... [ie, the circles at Stanton Drew].

History of Somerset: Stanton Drew. The river Chew washes this parish, and runs under a stone bridge northward from the church in its way to Pensford. The road to that town from Chew passes to the north of this river, and in the road lies an immense stone called Hautville's-Coit [Map], (a name it has sustained for many ages) and is by tradition reported to have been thrown hither by that gigantick champion Sir John Hautville, from Mays-Knolle-Hill, upwards of a mile distant, the place of his abode. The tump on that hill is alfo affirmed to have been the cleanings of the same man's spade; and so confident are the common people of the reality of the manoeuvre, that a farm-house erected of late years near the coit, was distinguiftied by the title of Hautville's-Coit Farm, which doubtless it will preserve till records are no more. This stone was formerly of vast magnitude, being computed to have weighed upwards of thirty tons; but the waggon loads of fragments that have been broken from it at different times, for the purpose of mending the roads, have diminished its consequence as to bulk and appearance, though not as to antiquity or the design of its erection; for it was part of a very remarkable monument of antiquity, which has distinguished this parish for many ages, and has diverted the steps of many a traveller.

Memoirs Historical and Topographical of Bristol Volume 1 Chapter. 100. North or north-westward from this cove are two large stones lying flat in a field, called Lower Tyning: they are said by Wood to be 3250 feet (i.e. two-thirds of a mile) from the center of the great circle.—Lastly, north-east from the great circle beyond the brook by the side of the road, as you approach Stanton Drew from the east, is a very large stone, called Hackell's Quoit [Map]: others call it Hackham's, and Ackam's, and Hakim's Quoit; but I am informed that the first is the proper orthography, derived from Hawkwell, a former possessor of land on the spot; but Stukeley calls him "Hautvill, a famous champion, of whom Legends are printed under the name of Sir John Hawkwell, as vulgarly pronounced."—lf the preceding account be compared with that given by Stukeley, it will be found, that this interesting monument of our ancestors, has suffered no discernible damage, since the time when that learned Antiquary visited it about A'D' 1723. A reprint of his and Musgrave's Views would be essentially useful for a History of the Britons. Stukeley supposes the original number of stones to have been about 100, the hypothesis of concentric circles inducing him to set down the number beyond all bounds of probability. My conjecture would be, not more than 60. Beside which some others, as it is said by the neighbours, lie on the ground unnoticed in unfrequented parts of the parish.

Archaeological Journal Volume 15 Pages 199-215. Collinson was of opinion that there had been avenues to the great circle, and that the large stone north-east [Hautville's Quoit [Map]] from it on the other side of the river had served as part of a portal to one of them. Stukeley, however, did not believe that there had ever been any avenue to this work. Of the celebrated stone just mentioned, Aubrey gives the following account: "About a quarter of a mile from this monument of the Wedding is a stone called Hakewell's Coyte, which is a great roundish stone, of the shape of a coyte; length of it is 10 feet 16 (sic) inches, broad 6 feet 6 inches, thick 1 foot 10 inches, and lies flatt, and seems to have been left: it is of the same sort of stone with those at the Wedding. This is not erect as they of Stoneheng, &c. The common people tell this incredible story, that Hakewell stood upon the top of Norton Hill, about half a mile off where the coyte now lies, and coyted it down to this place; for which having the Manor of Norton given him, and thinking it too little, did give it the name of Norton-mal-reward, which they pronounce Small-reward. That in these parts anciently was one Hakewell, a person of great estate and strength of body, is manifest by the figure in his monument in Chew Church."

Europe, British Isles, South-West England, Cornwall, St Columb Major, Nine Maidens Stone Row [Map]

1605. Richard Carew's "Survey of Cornwal": "Wade bridge delivereth you into waste ground, where 9 long and great stones called The Sisters [Nine Maidens Stone Row [Map]] stand in a ranke together, and seem to have been so pitched, for continuing the memory of somewhat, whose notice is yet envied us by time."

Nine Maidens Stone Row [Map]m aka Nine Sisters, is a row of nine Standing Stones around 110m long. Wikipedia describes the row as being "Late Neolthic".